Writing for Money is launching on October 30th. I asked Abbi to share a bit with all of you about her course and how and why she has created it.

As you know, I talk a lot about budgeting and living with your means here on KOAB. But sometimes, no matter how much cutting and trimming you do, there’s just not enough money to make it to the end of the month.

When my husband and I found ourselves in that painful situation, we cut and cut and cut some more. And then, when it still wasn’t enough, I set out to make.more.money. Freelance writing was how I did it. I hustled like crazy, but it started to work. I was able to boost my income a few hundred and then a few thousand dollars a month. That may not sound like a lot to you, but it changed our lives.

Are you ready to change your life? Check out Abbi’s story — and her course!

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Abbi Perets

Approximately 935 years ago (this is according to my children, who think I am older than Methuselah), I decided that I would be a freelance writer.

I made this decision for several important reasons:

I hated working in an office.

I wanted to be in control of my own schedule.

I had just had a baby, and I could not bear the thought of putting her in daycare.

I really only wanted to wear sweatpants, and I wasn’t that keen on brushing my hair.

At the time I decided to become a freelance writer, I did NOT have any of the following:

A college degree.

Any experience writing for magazines.

Any experience pitching my services as a freelancer.

I had two qualifications: I spoke English, and I knew how to use a computer.

I was interested in technology, although I certainly had no formal background or training in anything tech-related.

I read a book — one book — about working for businesses as a freelance writer.

I didn’t have a website or a fancy resume. I didn’t have lots of experience or a list of published articles.

Basically, I had no clue what I was doing, and I just figured I’d make it work.

The Early Days

When I started my “business” — and I use that term in the absolute loosest way possible — I went around applying to any freelance writing job I could find listed on the Internet.

I wrote press releases about semiconductors, articles about breastfeeding, and courses about the laws concerning insider trading.

Doing all of those different things meant that I was constantly learning new things, which sounds lovely and interesting, but it took a lot of time. I was always a beginner.

And when I’d find a potential job, I figured that by charging less than other writers, I’d get more work.

I’d apply to the job, and I’d hear nothing. And then, sometimes, I’d get an email or a phone call, and the conversation generally went something like this:

Client: Hey, Abbi, can you do this work?

Me: Sure! It’ll cost you $500.

Client: Oh… $500 is a lot of money. Can you do it for $50 instead?

Me: Sure! No problem!

A few weeks later, I’d wrap the project, get my measly pay, and buy a coffee at Starbucks, which was basically all I had to show for all my hard work.

Guess what happens when you charge very little for your work? People don’t value your work.

I put in hours and hours and didn’t earn nearly enough money to cover my expenses — forget about making a profit.

But! I was a freelance writer! Working from home! Living the dream.

The Turning Point

After some time, I landed a client I’ll call Joe. Joe came to me after he saw a post of mine in a private email group. (Remember, this was waaaaaaay before Facebook groups.) He wanted me to ghostwrite a book for him. After a handful of emails, we got on a phone call, talked things through, and agreed on terms.

We knew people in common, so I’d give him a good deal, and he’d introduce me around after the project was done.

I’d finally meet my income goal, and even if I was going to work twice as many hours as I’d planned, that was okay! Foot in the door, and all of that.

I started working bright and early the next morning.

Over the course of the next three weeks, I worked like a woman possessed. I more or less ignored my beautiful children (The ones I wanted so desperately to be home with. Yeah.). My family probably ate hot dogs for dinner every night that week. Each day, I updated Joe and shared pieces of the work with him — and he loved it all.

After three weeks of hard work, I sent the completed project over to him, and collapsed into bed.

The following Monday, I found an email from Joe saying that the work wasn’t that great, and therefore he wasn’t going to pay for it.

I was stunned. Horrified, even. All throughout the past three weeks, he had loved what I had sent him. He knew exactly what he was getting — and suddenly he didn’t want to pay for it?

“What does your contract say?” my patient husband asked.

I looked at him blankly. Contract? We knew people in common! We were in the same private group!

Even to my own ears, these excuses sounded ridiculous.

I had just given away over 100 hours of my time — and I wouldn’t earn a penny

Obviously, I didn’t hit my income goal that month. And when I figured in the amount I had paid for childcare, I was very much in the red.

Now What?

After the whole Joe fiasco, my confidence was pretty much shattered. I gave into the tears — and a pint (or three) of Ben and Jerry’s. And somewhere around that third pint of Chocolate Fudge Brownie, I started to think that maybe I’d give this freelancing thing another go — but maybe I’d make a few changes.

That was when I started to get serious about my business. I made a few decisions that started me on the path to actually earning money as a freelance writer.

I established some basic business processes.

Talking about money and contracts can feel super awkward, so it’s better not to do it, right?

WRONG.

It’s precisely because talking about money and contracts can feel super awkward that you NEED to have processes and systems in place. They protect you and your clients, and they get rid of all that awkwardness completely. No longer would I start a project without a signed contract — and an up-front payment — in place.

I started figuring out the information I needed to have in order to start a new project. I wrote down the questions I asked every new client. I determined how I needed to be paid in order to run my business. I found a basic contract that I could use with my clients.

I wrote out all the steps that needed to take place every single time I started a new project. And all of a sudden, I had an onboarding process — and a simple way to communicate to people that I took my business seriously.

I wouldn’t be giving anyone special discounts — no matter how many people we knew in common.

Pretty much every client I had worked with up to that point had ultimately paid me less than I wanted.

I was miserable. Yeah, I was “at home” with my kids — but I didn’t have time to spend with them. I was constantly thinking about the work I needed to do, and I was stressed about money ALL THE TIME.

No more.

I determined a minimum project price. No matter what the project was, I now had a bare minimum that I would charge — because I knew how much time and effort I put into getting to know a new client.

It took me a few more years to really understand pricing, but this was a HUGE step forward at the time.

I would start turning down work that didn’t interest me.

It took me several years to realize that by always having a learning curve, I was significantly limiting my income. When I started turning down work that didn’t interest me, I took a big step in the right direction, but it was a long time before I finally wised up and niched down.

By turning down the work that didn’t interest me, I opened up time in my schedule — in my life — to find the work that I did like. The work that made me feel excited. The work that earned me real money.

When Joe took my work and didn’t pay me, I was devastated. But the thing is, Joe actually did me a favor. He forced me to start treating my business like a business.

Fast Forward a Few Years

It took me YEARS to admit that what I was doing wasn’t working. YEARS of money that I threw away. YEARS of time that I spent running as fast as I could just to stay in place.

By making copious mistakes, I learned a lot. Over the years, I learned:

How to establish the habits that make me a successful freelance writer today

How to truly manage my time — even with a lot of kids — and carve out the time and space my business needs to grow

What to do to ensure that I have a steady stream of clients and that I’m never without work — or income

What in means to be in control of my own income and earning potential

How to ensure that I never put in work without getting paid

How to ensure that every project I do is one that I enjoy

By 2010 — just a decade or so after I started working as a freelance writer — I had a truly successful freelance writing business.

I had steady work. I put in around 5-6 hours a day, 5 days a week, and earned around $60,000 a year. I loved my clients and the work I did, and everything was awesome.

In 2013, all of my children were finally in full-day school programs, and I was ready to move my business up a level. I had just landed a big project, and all systems were go. And then…

(cue the dramatic, super-sad music)

… my son was diagnosed with cancer.

THAT’S a game-changer right there, and not in a good way.

Overnight, I shut down my business. I handed off every single client and project I had. I returned a huge advance payment check to a new client. And I spent the next few years taking care of my son.

He lived, is the short version, and he is an amazingly healthy child today, thank God.

And when he was better, I had to rebuild my business.

Except this time, I did it using all the lessons I had learned over the years. This time, I started the right way, without making ridiculously expensive mistakes. This time, I decided to start freelancing in October, and by November, I had booked $4000/month of steady, recurring monthly work — and I had leads for more.

Do you want to be in control of your income and not let someone else determine your earning potential?

Do you want to be at home with your kids and earn a real living?

You can do that.

It’s absolutely true that there’s a lot that goes into building a successful freelance writing business from scratch, and unfortunately, a lot of people don’t succeed.

A lot of people get stuck in those early mistakes and never recover.

It’s easy to understand why that happens — Hi! Did you read about all those mistakes I made?? — but it doesn’t have to happen to you.

You really can build a successful freelance writing business. You really can start earning $2000/month in just a few months — and scale your business to $40,000 or even $60,000/year while working 5-6 hours a day.

Yes, really. There’s a step-by-step process that can take you from here to there, and you can do it.

It’s easy to make excuses for why you can’t have what you want.

“I’m not talented enough.”

“I’m not going to be able to figure this out.”

“I’m just not as smart as Abbi is.”

You ARE talented enough.

You CAN figure this out.

You are DEFINITELY as smart as I am — and you’re probably even smarter, because you’re already looking for the resources you need to help you succeed.

Here’s the deal. You have two options:

Option #1: Keep dreaming about getting started in freelance writing. Read blog posts and books, and sort through the conflicting advice you find. Go for it! Heck I did it — and it only took me 10 years to start earning consistently. 😉

Option #2: Let me help you start your freelance writing business the right way, so that you can earn money consistently, starting almost immediately.

I spent this summer refining my signature course, Writing for Money, which takes you from “I think it might be cool to be a freelance writer” to landing your first freelance client and creating a plan for consistent income in just seven weeks.

In Writing for Money, you’ll figure out:

Exactly what you want to write — and who you want to write it for

How to get the work you want, so that you are excited to get going every day

How to create realistic financial goals — and what you have to do to meet them

As you implement what you learn, you’ll be able to pay off debt. You’ll enjoy the time you have at home with your children. You’ll contribute to your household finances with a sustainable, steady income.

I’ll be joining Mara for a super-fun video chat on Monday morning, and I’d love to answer any questions you have about freelance writing.

But in the meantime, feel free to go ahead and check out my course now. Thru Thursday evening, I am offering a special $200 savings exclusively for KOAB readers! I know you’re going to love my course — and I KNOW you love a great deal!